Compared to some of our other recommendations for weapons in Destiny 2, the best Destiny 2 trace rifles for PvE, PvP & Gambit in 2023 is going to be very short. This is because there are only a small handful of trace rifles in the game and nearly all of them are exotic.
Even though there are so few trace rifles, each of them do have their unique strengths and weaknesses, which factor in when weighing which are better for PvE, PvP, and Gambit in Destiny 2. Let’s break each down, and then go over which you should use, when, and why.
Best Destiny 2 Trace Rifles 2023
Best for PvE/Gambit
- Acasia’s Dejection (Energy, Solar) – Possible reward from completing encounters in Root of Nightmares raid.
- Divinity (Energy, Arc, Exotic) Reward from Divine Fragmentation quest.
- Retraced Path (Energy, Solar) Possible reward from Dares of Eternity.
- Path of Least Resistance (Energy, Arc) Obtained from Season of the Seraph activities.
- Ager’s Scepter (Kinetic, Stasis, Exotic) Purchase from Exotic Kiosk.
- Hollow Denial (Energy, Void) Obtained from Season of the Haunted activities.
Unfortunately, we only got one new Trace Rifle with the arrival of Season 20 and Lightfall. That said, the ones we’ve received in the last year: Retraced Path, Path of Least Resistance, and Hollow Denial, are all fantastic Trace Rifles that work exceptionally well with Light 3.0 builds.
In particular, Path of Least Resistance is arguably the strongest of them all, as it can be equipped with the Voltshot perk, which is a must for Arc 3.0 builds.
Even the new Trace Rifle, Acasia’s Dejection, is putting in great work with Solar builds, as it has access to the infamous Incandescent perk and Reconstruction, allowing the weapon to reload itself, making it a top-tier option automatically.
That said, while each Trace Rifle can put up some solid work in endgame content, there just needs to be more of them to consider compared to other weapons. Hopefully, Season 21, Season of the Deep, will continue to add more so we can make a proper list. Perhaps a Strand Trace Rifle is next?
Best Trace Rifle for PvP & Crucible
- Wavesplitter (Energy, Void, Exotic) Purchase from Exotic Kiosk.
- Coldheart (Energy, Arc, Exotic) Purchase from Exotic Kiosk.
- Divinity (Energy, Arc, Exotic) Obtained from Divine Fragmentation quest.
Just like in PvE, Trace Rifles in PvP are solid but nothing game-breaking. In the right hands, the weapons listed above can shred opponents with ease.
However, if you can’t land consistent hits on opposing enemies, it’s a massive waste of ammo and not worth taking up a special ammo slot. Think of it more like a double-edged sword: it can kill opponents quickly when used correctly, but if not, it can be a huge detriment not having another special ammo weapon like a Shotgun or Fusion Rifle.
As mentioned before, we hopefully will see more varieties of Trace Rifles released throughout the year of the Lightfall DLC, as while they are good right now, they have the potential to be top-tier weapons when there are more options to choose from.
That’s all for our best Trace Rifles in Destiny 2 2023 for PvE, PvP, & Gambit. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more tips and information on Destiny 2-related content.
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